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Re: [OM] what happend to my flash shots?!

Subject: Re: [OM] what happend to my flash shots?!
From: "John A. Lind" <jlind@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2002 00:39:00 +0000
At 03:21 1/25/02, Acer asked:
hey all;

[snip]

can anyone figure out what i did wrong? hopefully i provided enough info, if not, just ask. i really would like to get some nice shots of the entire extended family when we all gather this spring for the wedding.

Acer,
The clues:
(1) One T-32 with a diffuser effectively making it about the same as a T-20 without one.
(2)  Fuji NPS (not a bad film choice; the film speed is the key).
(3)  Lens aperture set to f/8.

See my "wedding" tutorial about the need for flash power (scroll down to the tables of film speeds, apertures, distances and flash GN ratings [given for ISO 100]):
  http://johnlind.tripod.com/wedding/rightstuff.html#equipment
<http://johnlind.tripod.com/wedding/planning.html#Exposure and Lighting>http://johnlind.tripod.com/wedding/planning.html#Exposure and Lighting

I suspect you simply did not have enough flash power. I must watch carefully when using Kodachrome 64 indoors that I keep aperture to f/4 or f/5.6 lest I run out of flash power with a single T-32. If this was a "reception" held in a reception hall or banquet room, distances are deceptively farther than inside someone's living room! This is one of the reasons the pros use very, very powerful flash heads for "event" shooting. It allows stopping the aperture down to f/8 and still being able to throw enough diffused light over 20 feet to properly expose ISO 100 or ISO 160 film.

A T-32 with the 21mm WA diffuser is effectively a T-20. At f/8 you only have enough flash power for a maximum distance of about 8-10 feet. You need to run something more powerful than a single T-32. This is something I suspected and confirmed during my first wedding shoot as an "apprentice" with a local pro. You need a GN of about 150-160 [ISO 100 in feet], *after* taking into account any diffusion or bounce device you use. It's the reason I used a pair of T-32's on a bracket without diffusers!

If you decide to shoot the wedding for them, start at the beginning:
  http://johnlind.tripod.com/wedding/

-- John
[who doesn't claim to be a great wedding photographer; just one who understands many of the technical issues associated with it]


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